Julian Sawyer Named Wirex Independent Non-Executive Director

London, 6th November 2026 – Julian Sawyer, co-founder and former chief operating officer of Starling Bank, has been appointed as an independent non-executive director at Wirex Limited, a payments company based in the UK.

Sawyer’s background spans digital banking, payments and digital assets. In his role as independent non-executive director, he will provide the board with independent oversight and challenge on matters including strategy, risk, controls and customer oversight.

Sawyer co-founded Starling Bank in 2015 and was its chief operating officer until 2019. The bank’s operations under his leadership included the card launch and Starling Payment Services, a platform allowing other firms to access UK payment schemes. He later served as managing director for Europe at Gemini, chief executive of Bitstamp and Zodia Custody, and is an independent non-executive director of Recognise Bank.

Chetan Shah, CEO of Wirex Limited, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Julian to the Board of Wirex Limited. He has built and run some of the UK’s most successful, regulated financial businesses from the ground up, and his independent perspective will help Wirex to continue growing safely and sustainably. The UK has been our home for over a decade, and at such an important time for the UK payment sector, I look forward to working closely with Julian on the opportunities ahead.”

Julian Sawyer said: “Having worked across banking and payments, I’ve seen how much the industry has matured. The next generation of financial services in the UK will be built on the foundations of trust, sound regulation and reliable infrastructure, and I’m excited to join the Board to support the Wirex team as they continue to implement that, with a strong focus on governance and customer outcomes as the business grows.”

Sawyer will speak on 12th November at Full Stack London, Wirex’s new stablecoin infrastructure conference. The one-day closed-door event brings together founders, CEOs and technical builders to discuss making stablecoins work in payments. He will be joined by Daniel Rowlands, Wirex’s chief commercial officer, for a fireside chat about why infrastructure provider models fail and lessons from the industry.

The appointment of Sawyer follows that of Kulveer Ranger, the Lord Ranger of Northwood, as board adviser to Wirex Labs earlier this week. Wirex is building out its leadership for its next stage of growth.

About Wirex Limited

Wirex Limited is a UK-based FCA-regulated electronic money institution. It offers secure payment methods that let users store, purchase and exchange multiple currencies seamlessly. As a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, it goes beyond conventional services by incorporating Web3 trends to provide mainstream access to digital finance and wealth management. Wirex Limited is simplifying digital payments, making them more accessible and convenient for people.